


Summer Camp (Teenlock AU)

by BuddhaBuns



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Bottom Sherlock, First Time, Fluff, Happy Ending, High School, Johnlock - Freeform, M/M, Mary is a bitch, Mild Angst, Protective John, Resolved Sexual Tension, SO MUCH FLUFF, Sensitive Sherlock, Sherlock Homles/John Watson - Freeform, Summer Camp, Teenlock, Teenlock AU, Tooth Rotting Fluff, Top John, Virgin Sherlock, happy fluffy ending, m/m - Freeform, not too much smut, secret crushes, some smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 11:57:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17161580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuddhaBuns/pseuds/BuddhaBuns
Summary: John Watson is the perfect guy. Captain of the rugby team, totally gorgeous, smart, and incredibly charismatic. Everyone falls at his feet and he has no shortage of friends.Sherlock Holmes is a quiet, reserved boy. He doesn't have any friends because he's known as the freak. He's treated poorly and he is quite sensitive. He's built up very strong emotional walls to keep others out and protect himself.What will it take to break those walls down? Perhaps sharing a cabin with the boy of his dreams for the entire summer ;)





	1. Glass Half Full

**Author's Note:**

> As you may have guessed, I'm completely American (sadly), so I don't have proper knowledge of English culture. To keep things simpler and more coherent on my end, I will be using terms that I am familiar with, like "high school" and such. I hope this isn't a bother, I just didn't want to sound like a fool by trying to talk about things I have no knowledge of.  
> This is my VERY FIRST fic! I am by no means, but I have always had an image of what I would consider the perfect fic, and I got tired of searching for it, so I decided to try to write it myself! I'm open to any comments and criticism, so don't hold back! I'd love it if I could whip up more fics and be able to write things that others enjoy.  
> I hope you enjoy this fic! <3

It was the summer before senior year, and John Watson couldn’t have been more terrified. He was captain of the rugby team and had every single one of his fellow students hanging onto every word he said. He was every girl’s dream and every guy’s idol. He had it made! Or so it seemed. 

In reality, John was terrified. Yes, being captain of the rugby team had its perks, but John only held that title because he had to. He enjoyed the sport and he was happy to have the physical conditioning, but he would rather spend his time cramming every bit of his biology and chemistry classes into his skull; however, John’s father had a very specific image of him that he had to uphold. He had to be the star of the team so he could get a scholarship to uni and pursue his real dream – becoming a surgeon. He knew his father would never approve and he would have to get a scholarship to even go to uni.  
So, he remains the star of the team and keeps his dreams secret. 

This summer, John was being sent to a summer camp, called Baskerville’s Youth Camp. John didn’t want to go. Not at all. But his father insisted that it would be vital in learning communication skills he could better use on the pitch, which would give him a better chance at a scholarship. So, to his dismay, John gave in and accepted his fate. 

The trip was going to take his entire summer – a whole two months. John didn’t want to give up his last summer before senior year, but he had no choice. Since he was a glass half full kind of guy, he tried to look on the bright side of things. He was excited to see what camp activities would be set up, and he was excited to see who all would be there. He already knew he had a few rugby friends joining him, Greg Lestrade and Mike Stamford, so he was looking forward to spending some time with them. 

If only he knew what he was in for..

~

Only a week after school had been let out, John was packed up and ready to go for his two-month long exhibition to Baskerville’s Youth Camp. It took him ages to pack everything. Who knew it would be so hard to pack for two months?

It wasn’t long before his mother called for him, asking if he was ready to leave. 

“John, dear! Are you completely packed?”

John rolled his eyes to himself and huffed out a sigh, “Yes, mum! I have everything I need.”

“Are you sure? You have everything? Toothbrush? Toothpaste? Shampoo?”

“Yes, I already told you, I have everything!”

“Oh, but are you sure you packed enough pants?”

"Oh my god, YES, I have plenty!”

“Alright, alright! I just don’t want you to be without anything important. Your father is waiting for you in the car out front.”

“Okay, I’ll be down in a minute.”

After a rather flustering conversation with his mother, John began the long journey from his bedroom to the front door, doing his best to manage his suitcase, duffel bag, and backpack all at once, trying to get to the bottom of the stairs as gracefully as he could. 

Once he made it to the front door, after nearly falling to his death on the stairs, he began to mentally prepare himself for the long car ride to camp. He knew he was in for an hour-long lecture from his father about how to maximize and utilize his time at camp and how to apply it on the field. John loved his father dearly, but he just couldn’t bear listening to him drone on and on about a sport that he tolerated but didn’t really care for. He was just glad he was able to sneak a few biology and chemistry books into his suitcase for his nights at camp.

John took in a deep breath through his nose, then let it out smoothly through his mouth, steadying himself before he opened the door and walked out. He approached the car and began loading his bags in the back seat. When he was on his last bag, he heard his mother bustle out the door and scurry over to him.  
She quickly wrapped him in a big bear hug and started saying her goodbyes.

“Oh, honey, I’m just going to miss you so much. I know your father thinks this is a good opportunity for you, and I’m sure he’s right, but I still hate seeing you go.”

He smiled warmly and didn’t hesitate to hug back just as tightly. “I know, mum. I’m going to miss you too. Two months will go by so fast! I’ll be back before you know it,” He pulled back to look at his mother and said, “anything to get dad to shut up about rugby.” He threw her a wink and a smile, which she gladly returned.

They hugged one final time and said one last goodbye, then John climbed into the front seat and got ready for his journey to camp, silently praying to whatever god he could for an easy ride with his father.

As he expected, his father instantly jumped into a full-scale analysis of every possible scenario that could happen at camp. Every activity, every problem that could occur. John simply nodded and hummed a monotone reply every couple of minutes and tuned his father out for the entirety of the ride. He let his father go on while he stared out the window and daydreamed about what he was about to face at camp..


	2. Glass Completely Empty

Sherlock Holmes. The freak. The weirdo. The kid that sits in the back of the class. The kid that no one talks to. The kid that knows everything. The kid that scares off everyone by telling them their life story after seeing them for only a minute. 

Sherlock Holmes. The genius. The secretly lonely eighteen-year-old. The kid that has never been understood. The kid who has never been liked. The kid everyone makes fun of. The kid who has always wanted a friend other than his dog, Redbeard. The kid who just wants someone to stay.

It was a month before school ended when he was given the news. “You’re going to summer camp!” his mother cheered when he came home from school. 

Instantly, he froze. Summer camp. People. Activities. Sports. Teams. Opening up to others. Being vulnerable. No escape. Confined for months. Held captive for months. Being forced to socialize. 

This was Sherlock’s worst nightmare.

“No. No way. Absolutely not. You cannot make me go.”

“Oh, Sherlock, please,” Mycroft interrupted. 

“Don’t even, Mycroft. Don’t you have some cake to eat?”

“Brother dear, you know we only want the best for you. This is a splendid opportunity for you to finally branch out and..meet others.”

“You of all people should know that I don’t do well with others. I’ll be kicked out within a week.”

“Only if you try, brother mine. You know you need this, so just accept it.”

“Mother, please don’t make me go to that wretched place. I’ll do anything.”

“I’m sorry dear,” she replied. “I know you will be better for this. I only want you to make friends. You can’t just spend your days with Redbeard, you know! You need to meet people your age! Socialize! I know you’ll be fine.”

With this, Sherlock stomped his way up the stairs and into his room, slamming the door behind him. His room, of course, was a complete mess. But, in his words, it was an “organized mess”. Even with everything astray, he still knew where everything was. 

Noticing the commotion, out from beside the bed came Redbeard. He scampered up to sherlock and snuggled into his leg. Sherlock instantly relaxed, bent down and pulled Redbeard into a light hug. 

“Thank you, Redbeard. I don’t know how I’ll survive all summer without you..”

Redbeard whimpered in reply and snuggled deeper into Sherlock.

Deep down, Sherlock was rather curious. He would never admit it out loud though. That night, he let his mind wander in thought of summer camp. He wondered who would be there and what he would be forced to participate in. He felt something deep in his stomach. Something he couldn’t label. Something he didn’t recognize. If he didn’t know any better, he would have thought it was excitement. But he knew that was insanity. He could never be excited about something like summer camp.

Or so he thought..

~

Far too soon, the day arrived. Sherlock hadn’t even packed. He was so sure that he was going to be able to somehow get out of going to this awful summer camp. He was dead wrong. 

“Sherlock, dear! It’s time to go!”

“…”

“Sherlock?”

“…”

Sherlock heard feet shuffling up the stairs and growled out a sound of disapproval. Soon, there was a knock at the door, followed by Sherlock’s mother barging into the room.

“Goodness, Sherlock! You’re not even packed!”

“No, I’m not. Because I’m not going.”

“Oh, Sherlock, please don’t do this. We need to leave in ten minutes!”

Mycroft suddenly made his appearance known by clearing his throat loudly. He had three bags at his side and said “I had a feeling you would pull something childish like this, so I took the liberty of packing your bags for you. You will have everything you need for the duration of the summer. You’re welcome.” He smirked slyly at Sherlock, who shot back a glare that could cut glass.

“Oh, thank you, Mycroft! Now, Sherlock, grab your bags, say goodbye to your brother and father, then meet me in the car!”

Sherlock forced himself off his bed and grumbled all the way to the doorway where his bags sat. He reluctantly grabbed them and rather roughly shoved Mycroft with his shoulder as he passed him. He took his time going down the stairs and huffed out a sharp breath with every step he took. By the time he made it to the door, Redbeard had been sitting there waiting for him for a good long while. Sherlock stopped for a moment to put down his bags. He knelt down to greet Redbeard and wrapped him in a big hug. He pulled back a bit to rest his forehead on Redbeard’s, rubbed his ears gently, and said “I’m so sorry they’re making me leave you. I wish I could take you with me. I promise I’ll be back soon enough.” 

With one final hug to Redbeard, Sherlock willed himself to stand and grab his bags. He made his way to the door and shoved it open with a scowl on his face. He shouted a shallow goodbye into the house before he slammed the door shut and trudged over to the car. He shoved his bags into the back seat then got in the front by his mother.

She tried to speak to him softly, but he just ignored her and stared out the window with a sour look on his face. He would never tell her that he was actually thinking about that same feeling in the pit of his stomach.


	3. Who is this Sherlock Holmes?

After about an hour in the car, John and his father had arrived. They pulled up a well-worn gravel road which passed under a wooden arch that said “Baskerville’s Youth Camp” in bold letters. From there, a large cabin could be seen straight ahead, which held the registration office and main hall, where meals would be served, and daily meetings would be held. To the left, there was a large field which looked like it would be used for multiple different activities, like rugby, football, and capture the flag. To the right, it appeared that a small village could be seen. It was clear that there were two separate sides, one for boys and one for girls, each having about ten double bedroom cabins. 

It was then that John remembered that he would be having a roommate. He had never had a roommate before. His initial reaction was excitement for the new experience. But, not long after, he was hit with dread. What if he got a bad roommate? What if his roommate hated him? What if they got off on the wrong foot? What if, what if, what if…

A few minutes later, John’s father snapped him out of his mental paranoia. “We’re here!” he said as he parked the car in front of the main hall. The building was rather large and John found it surprisingly intimidating. Reality was beginning to set in. He wasn’t ready to be left here for two months. He didn’t want to be here. He forced his feet to carry him out of the car to grab his bags and walk through the double doors that led to the registry.

Thankfully, all of his worries were replaced with delicious relief when John entered the registry and saw Greg and Mike standing in line, waiting to be checked in. 

“Greg! Mike!” He called as he dropped his bags and jogged over to greet his friends. “Boy, am I glad to see you guys. I was worried I was going to be stuck here all by my lonesome!”

“John!” Mike clapped him on the back and pulled him in for a side hug, “It’s good to see ya mate! It’ll be nice to have another familiar face other than Greg for the next two months!”

“Oi!” Greg interjected, “I’m not that awful!”

“Oh, I know you’re not, Greg. I’m just as excited to see you,” John replied with a wink.

“So, who’re you rooming with Johnny? Greg and I called ahead so we could room together.”

“Oh, I-I’m not sure..I hadn’t really thought about it to be honest..” John answered, feeling lost and unprepared. He rubbed a shaky hand on the back of his neck in discomfort and tried to fight the heat he felt rising to his cheeks.

“No worries mate!” said Greg, trying to reassure him. “I’m sure tons of people are being paired up randomly. You shouldn’t have any problems.”

“Yeah,” Mike added with a chuckle`, “unless you get paired with some weird guy!”

“I dunno,” John continued, “I don’t really have issues with people. I’m sure I’ll be fine with whoever I get paired with.”

“That’s the spirit, Johnny!” Mike said with another clap to John’s back. John just chuckled and threw his arm around him to keep both of their balances.

Then, John realized that he had left his bags at the door with his father. “Oh, sorry mates, I gotta go get my bags!” John left them to finish registering and went to meet his father.

“Sorry dad, I got a bit excited when I saw Greg and Mike,” he said sheepishly.

“Not to worry John! I’m just glad to see you enjoying yourself so soon! We only just got here! See, I told you this is going to be perfect for you!”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right!” John agreed with a glowing smile.

John and his father waited in line until it was his turn to get registered. They walked up to the desk that had a name plate on the front that read “Mrs. Hudson”. Behind the desk sat a warm looking middle-aged woman with short hair and a pair of reading glasses. 

“Oh, hello dearie! How are you this morning?” she asked with a bright grin.

“Hello,” John replied, “I need to check in..?”

“Yes, we can do that no problem! What’s your name?”

“John, John Watson.” He said perhaps a bit too quickly.

“Well, mister John Watson, it looks like you will be in cabin 21B, and you will be rooming with another young man, named Sherlock Holmes. Such a sweet boy, that one.” She said with a knowing smile. 

“Oh, you know him?” 

“Yes, actually! I’m just a friend of the family, but I’ve known Sherlock for years. He is quite different, but he is more than he seems. Just don’t let him scare you away. Give him some time to warm up to you.”

“Uhm, okay..thank you for the advice,” John replied. He was rather confused. It was like she was describing a pet cat that you were meeting for the first time. It worried John a bit. What did John have to be scared of? How would this boy scare him away? And why would he need to warm up to him? 

John was just about to let his thoughts and worries consume him when he heard Mrs. Hudson’s soft, caring voice slice through the blur of his anxiety. “Here is the key to your room and a schedule for the rest of your first day here! It is currently noon, and your first meeting will start at 2:30pm, here in the main hall.” She passed the key and paper to John with a warm smile. John gently took the items and thanked her before he turned to meet his father by the doors. 

“How did it go?” his father asked with a chipper tone.

“It went fine. I’ve got my room key and my schedule for the day. Want to help me settle into my room before you head out?”

“Absolutely! Let’s go!”

Together, they walked out the doors of the main hall and found the dirt path that led to the boys’ cabins. Instead of ignoring his father’s cheery attitude, John decided to join him this time. They admired the grounds of the camp together and pointed out various sights. John was particularly fond of the small strip of beach that he could see off in the distance. He hoped that they would have some beach activities at some point while he was here.

Soon, they arrived at the cabin labeled 21B. John put his key in the door and turned until he heard the door unlock. He gently pushed the door open and took his first look at the room he would be spending two months in. He was surprised at how nice it actually looked. The cabin was a bit cramped, but it was comfortable. There was a bed in each corner of the room with a small desk beside each one. There were dressers at the foot of each bed and a door that led to a bathroom in the center of the back wall. 

“This is nice!” John said, as he set his bags down on the bed that was on the left side of the room. 

“Yes, I think so too! I think you’ll have a great time here, son.”

“I do too.” John returned with a small smile.

“Well, Johnny, I’ve gotta head back home. You know how your mother gets when you’re away. Don’t want to leave her alone for too long or I’ll come home to her crying over every photo album!”

“Yeah, I know,” John said with a chuckle. He loved how soft his mother was. She was always so kind and caring. John likes to think that he got those traits from her. “I’ll let you get back, I’ll be fine unpacking on my own.”

John gave his father a hug and they said their goodbyes. Once John’s father had left, John was completely alone. In the quiet room, John finally had a moment to himself to completely think about his near future. Now that he was there, he was actually quite excited. Seeing Greg and Mike gave him a great deal of confidence and reassurance. With them to fall back on, he felt that he could face anything this camp could throw at him. 

But then he got thinking about what Mrs. Hudson had said at the registry. Who is this Sherlock Holmes? Should he be scared? He may not be scared yet, but he sure as hell was nervous. At least she had said that Sherlock was a sweet boy. That was a bit reassuring and calming, but only a little. He was pretty anxious, but John is usually good with meeting new people. He likes to think that he’s quick on his feet and easy to talk to. At least, he hopes he is. Right now, all he can do is unpack and hope for the best, so that's what he does.


	4. Memories

Not too long after their journey began, Sherlock and his mother were driving under an arch that Sherlock knew all too well. The sign read “Baskerville’s Youth Camp”. Sherlock had nightmares of this place, but he just huffed out a light sigh and thought to himself “There’s no turning back now..” At least he would have a friendly face in the crowd at this god forsaken camp. Not only a friendly face, but a loving one.

Once his mother parked the car, he didn’t even bother waiting for her. He immediately got out of the car, grabbed his bags from the back seat, and nearly ran through the double doors that led to the registry. As soon as he got through the doors, Mrs. Hudson got up from her chair and held her arms open wide, welcoming Sherlock into a tight embrace. He gladly bundled himself up in her warmth and let out a sigh of contempt. 

“Oh, Sherlock,” she began, “it’s so good to see you, dear! It’s been far too long.”

“I know,” he replied, “I’ve missed you so much.”

“And I you. Although,” she started, as she lightly pulled back and began to sit down again because of that damn hip, “I was very surprised to see your name on the registry this summer? I never thought I would see you here again!”

“You and me both, Hudders.”

“Oh, but I’m so glad to see you getting out there again! You really do need to meet new people and make new friends, and this is the perfect way to do it. I’m proud of you!”

“Don’t be. I would have never elected to do this myself. I was dragged here against my will by my mother and boil of a brother. I would much rather be at home studying my tobacco ash.”

“I’m sure that’s true. I only wish you had the senses that your mother has and you are lacking. She really is just trying to do what’s best for you. She knows what you need. People and friendship. You just need to give yourself a chance, that’s all.”

“You of all people know that I’m not good with others. I think this is a very bad idea. I expect to be kicked out within a week.”

“Don’t talk such nonsense! I think you’ll fit right in without a problem!”

“Hah. I’ll believe that when I see it,” he said with a hint of sadness in his voice. 

Mrs. Hudson moved a bit closer to Sherlock, put a comforting hand on his arm and said “I know this is hard for you, Sherlock. But I have a good feeling about this. Just give it a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.”

“Okay, I trust you. Thank you, Hudders.”

“You are very welcome. Now! Let’s get you checked in, shall we?” She rolled her chair back over to her desktop computer and started typing away, looking for Sherlock’s information. “Aha! Here we are. You will be in cabin 21B and you will be rooming with a very nice young man, named John. Here is your key and a schedule for today.” She proceeded to hand Sherlock the items, but she couldn’t help but notice the sudden paleness of his face. 

“Are you alright, dear? You’ve gone pale as a ghost!”

“…did you say John..?”

“Yes, I did. Your roommate’s name is John Watson. Is something wrong?”  
Oh, yes. Something was very wrong. So, very wrong. John Watson was only the captain of the rugby team and Sherlock’s entire world since freshman year. But he wasn’t about to tell Mrs. Hudson that. 

“Nope! I’m fine! Everything is fine! Thank you for checking me in, I’ll just be going now! See you at the meeting!”

And, with that, Sherlock left just as fast as he came. He pushed all thought of John to the back of his mind as he approached his mother to say his last goodbyes to her. Since his time with Mrs. Hudson, he felt mush softer and less moody about the whole ordeal, so he was able to have a nice, comforting goodbye with his mother. Once she drove away, he took a moment to soak in his surroundings. Not that he needed to. He knew this place like the back of his hand. He used to spend his summers here as a child. Sadly, he cannot recall many happy memories that happened here. All he has is negative associations. This is where it all started. 

It was quite obvious from the very start that Sherlock wasn’t like other children his age. He was far more developed and mature. He didn’t like to play like the other children. He didn’t find joy in the coloring and running around. Instead, he would collect and catalog different leaves or samples of dirt from different parts of the grounds. When the other children took notice of these strange habits, the bullying started. The name calling and the taunting. This is the place where it started, and it hadn’t stopped since. This is why he didn’t want to come here. This is why he was so bitter about going. This place is why he doesn’t have friends. This place ruined him.

After realizing he had been standing in the middle of the car park while roaming his mind palace for what was probably upwards of ten minutes, he let out a soft sigh and began walking to the dirt path that led to the cabins. While he was walking, he started fidgeting with the key in his hand. He looked down to gaze at the little bronze key in his hand which was labeled with a tag that said 21B in white letters. He just stared at it in awe. After secretly pining over John for years, he is now going to be sharing a room with him for two whole months. This was insane. He just couldn’t believe the universe would do this to him.

Sherlock could remember the very first time he saw the great captain John Watson. Well, this was before he was captain, but still. It was a Tuesday. Sherlock had ducked into the library after school let out for the day, so he could avoid the rude name calling an being shoved into lockers. He did that every day. He loved the library. He loved the quiet and the smell of old, well-used books. It was his safe place. Generally, the kind of people that liked to torment him stayed clear of the library, so it was like his safe haven. He had stayed there for a couple hours, got some work done, then decided it was time for him to head home. On this day, he decided to take the long way. Looking back, he wasn’t sure why. On this day, he walked out the far doors and walked around the whole school. In doing so, he passed the rugby pitch, which he absolutely never does. He decided to take a look as he was walking and see if anything was on that day. There was, in fact, a practice session taking place. Just as he was about to turn away and continue his journey home, something shiny and beautiful caught his eye. His eyes followed the shine and it led to none other than John Watson. Sherlock stopped dead in his tracks and could do nothing but stare at the gorgeous sight before him. John was jogging up to a group of team members in grass and dirt stained shorts that fit him perfectly, and his golden hair was catching the sunlight just perfectly and refusing to let it go. He looked angelic. Sherlock could see him laughing and getting on with his teammates, and it was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Ever since that moment, Sherlock had been head over heels for the captain. John Watson would be the death of him. 

Sherlock felt fire dancing on the tips of his ears and his cheeks from the mere thought of John Watson. He just couldn’t help it. John did things to Sherlock that he thought no one could ever do to him. Sherlock never thought he would feel anything like this for another person. Mycroft had been adamant on teaching Sherlock that feelings were nothing but a chemical defect. But John put an unbreakable spell on him, and he didn’t even mind. John was the guy of his dreams and Sherlock was on his way to greet him for the first time, in a room that they would be sharing for two months. Sherlock was nowhere near ready when he suddenly appeared at the door to his cabin. 

Sherlock looked at the large gold numbers on his cabin, taunting him. He took a deep breath to try and steady himself, and he did his best to get rid of the brush of color in his cheeks from earlier. Once he felt twenty percent confident, he put his hand on the doorknob. After another minute of deep breathing, he slowly turned the knob and pushed open the door. 

Sherlock heaved a sigh of tremendous relief when he was greeted with an empty room. John had obviously been there, which was evident by the unpacked bags sitting at the foot of the bed on the left. After seeing this and taking a moment to collect himself again, Sherlock walked over to the bed on the right side of the room and began to unpack. Everything was perfectly fine, until Sherlock heard rustling in the bathroom that was only a few feet away from him. He then heard a sink and began to panic. His first instinct was to run out the door, but the bathroom door flung open before he could even try making a run for it. Not a moment later, Captain John Watson walked out of the bathroom and looked just as startled as Sherlock probably did. They both froze for a moment.

This was going to be interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness! This is my first fic and I honestly cannot believe nearly 100 people have been kind enough to give this fic a chance within the first day of me posting! I may just be being silly, but it's a big deal to me and it really means a lot to me! I've loved the feedback so far and I'd love to hear more! Any and all suggestions or comments are welcome! Thank you for all the support so far and I hope you guys are liking the story so far! This is going to be a slow burn, but I have big plans! So, stay tuned :)


	5. First Meetings

John had been undisturbed in the room while unpacking his things and getting settled. He was just finishing putting his shampoo, conditioner, soap, and other bathroom items in the cabinet above the sink in the bathroom. He shut the cabinet and took a moment to look at himself in the mirror. The summer had just started, but he already had a hell of a tan coming on, thanks to his ongoing rugby practice. He was wearing a dull yellow tank top that appeared to be tighter than it had been when he first got it, but John didn’t mind. It accented his strong pectoral muscles and made it very clear that he was incredibly active. After running his hands under some water, he put a hand through his hair and ruffled it a bit, then made a move to go back into the room.

John reached for the door handle and pushed through the door without hesitation. But, when he got into the room, it hit him. By the bed opposite of Johns’ stood a young-looking boy. John’s first reaction was shock, since he didn’t hear the other boy some into the room while he was in the bathroom. But the shock very soon faded away when he noticed who the boy was. “Oh..” John thought to himself. When Mrs. Hudson said that he would be rooming with Sherlock Holmes, he thought the name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Now he was having a moment of clarity. He did know this boy. Well, not really. He knew who he was. He was the one John had seen walking past the rugby pitch almost every day since freshman year. He was the boy in all of his chemistry classes that always got perfect marks, yet sat alone. He was the one that he had been telling his teammates to stop bullying. He was the one that John had been curious of since the moment he saw him. 

Before John could physically react to the boy standing in their room, he took a moment to soak in the sight before him. There was no denying that the boy was strikingly pretty. It nearly took John’s breath away. The most John had been able to see at school was a flurry of raven colored curls bouncing around the halls or resting in his hands in class. John had been dying to see his face, and this was unbelievable. He had eyes the color of sea foam shifting over blue waves, which were constantly fighting for dominance. His skin was a soft porcelain that had a slight glow to it from the light peeking through the bathroom door. His cheekbones looked sharper than any knife John had ever used, and he had the most delicious looking cupids bow lips. They were so full and they were brushed with a lovely light pink color. John had seen nothing so beautiful in all his life. 

After nearly swooning over the seemingly frozen boy in front of him, he finally regained control of himself and lost the startled face he was wearing before. He could feel his face light up with a grin and he began to step forward towards the boy who took a step back in return. 

“Sorry, I was a bit startled there, I didn’t hear you come in before. Hi,” John started while holding his hand out for Sherlock to shake, “I’m John Watson.”

The boy still looked weary, but it looked like seeing John be gentle and warm towards him softened him up a bit.

“I know who you are.”

“Oh, you do?”

“Yes, everyone at school knows you. You tend to get around.”

“Oh, right. I suppose you’re right. I just wanted to properly introduce myself since I haven’t had the opportunity to before.”

Sherlock had a questioning look on his face, but still slowly reached a delicate hand out to take John’s strong one and shake it in greeting. “Okay. I’m Sherlock.”

“Well, it is very nice to meet you Sherlock.”

“…and you..John.”

Sherlock’s hand was like the rest of him, lanky. His hand was rather large and he lad long fingers, but his hand still felt so small in John’s. Where John’s hand was calloused and strong from rugby, Sherlock’s hand was soft and gentle. It was a very strong dichotomy, but John couldn’t help noticing how perfectly their hands looked and felt when they were put together.

After a while of awkward hand shaking, Sherlock pulled his hand away and just looked at it for a moment. Seeing how scared and uncomfortable Sherlock looked, John felt a need to fill the silence and try to make him warm up a bit, so he spoke up again.

“This is a nice place, don’t you think?”

Sherlock flinched a little in remembering his childhood summers here, but recovered quickly and replied, “Yeah, I suppose so..”

John noticed the pain that Sherlock was trying to hide. He wanted to ask him what was wrong, but he didn’t want to push the boy, so he decided to try talking about something else to lighten the mood.

“Uhm..is that a microscope?” John asked, pointing at a silver top that was peeking out of one of Sherlock’s bags.

“Oh, uh..y-yes, it is,” Sherlock answered softly while looking at something that must be really interesting on the floor, while waiting and mentally preparing for the insults that were expected to follow.

“What model is it? Looks like a trinocular polarizing microscope from what I can see.”

Sherlock’s head whipped up instantly and fixed John with a surprised look, then he asked, “How did you know that?”

John smirked in return, feeling quite impressed with himself. He crossed his arms over his chest, exposing the strong muscles in his arms that were open for all to see, thanks to his very flattering tank top, then said “I could tell from the silver top sticking out of the bag and the label engraved on it. The “PZ” at the beginning of the code gives the polarizing part away. I can also see that there are two lenses, rather than one, so it’s a professional microscope. One of the fancy ones.”

John knew the microscope very well. He had wanted one just like it for ages to practice analyzing different bacteria and cells for his studies in medicine, but his father would never spend money on such things, especially when they’re thousands of pounds. Truth be told, he was quite envious of Sherlock for having one.

Sherlock just stood there with that same surprised look on his face for a couple moments, then John asked, “Why so shocked?”

Sherlock blinked a few times before answering, “I just didn’t expect a jock like yourself to be interested in microscopes, of all things. I thought you’d be more interested in new running shoes or something.”

“I’m full of surprises.” John answered with a wink. “Besides,” he continued, “that’s all boring stuff anyways.”

Sherlock gave him a quizzical look. John now felt like he was under a microscope. He could feel Sherlock raking over every inch of him and analyzing everything about him. It was a little unnerving, but it was strangely exciting more than anything. John then took a seat on his bed and let Sherlock finish unpacking, which didn’t take long. They sat in a comfortable silence until Sherlock spoke up.

“It’s uh..it’s nearly time for the first meeting, so I’m going to head over there..”

John looked at the clock that hung on the wall by the door, and he was right. Their meeting was set to start in fifteen minutes. “Oh, right! Thanks, I had nearly forgotten about it.” John said with a relieved chuckle. “Do you mind if I join you?”

Sherlock had that same questioning look on his face again. He held it for a moment, then answered, “I wouldn’t mind at all.”

Then, together, they began the walk to the main hall.


	6. Into Battle

After a disappointingly quick and quiet walk to the main hall, John and Sherlock entered the building and headed to the cafeteria that was just past the registry. There were only about ten minutes left before the meeting, so the large cafeteria was very nearly completely full. Lots of tables full of groups of friends chatting away in excitement to start the summer there. Upon entering the room, John took a moment to scan the area until his eyes landed on a table which had Greg and Mike occupying it. He did nothing to fight the smile that appeared on his face while he raised a hand and let out a mild shout to get their attention. They heard him, looked around until they found him, then waved him over to the table, gesturing to an open seat that they had saved him. Without another thought, John began making his way over to the table, weaving in and out of others. What he didn’t notice was the fact that he had left Sherlock in the dust. Sherlock made no move to follow John, as he didn’t expect that he would be welcome, but he couldn’t help the small pang of sadness he felt at being left behind. After shooing that sadness away, Sherlock began to walk over to a small, secluded table in the back of the room which only sat Mrs. Hudson.

“Heya, Johnny! We almost thought you weren’t gonna make it.” Greg said as John finally made it to the table and sat down.

“Oh, I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” John replied with a false, toothy grin and a hint of sarcasm in his voice. It was then that John remembered the curly haired boy who had seemed to disappear. He knit his eyebrows together and whipped his head back and forth, scanning the room for Sherlock until he found him in the back of the room, sitting with Mrs. Hudson. “I wonder why he’s sitting all the way back there with her?” he wondered to himself.

John was brought back to focus when he heard another person join their little group. John turned back around to greet the friendly face. John was very happily surprised when he saw that it was his friend from biology, Molly Hooper. She was a very sweet girl who has light brown hair that she liked to keep in a high ponytail. She had a very soft voice and she was always very kind. She was always ready and willing to help John out in class if he was ever struggling, and they had been good friends since freshman year. Now that he was thinking about it, he thought he remembered seeing her with Sherlock a few times at school. That made John start to wonder. “Is she perhaps his girlfriend? She couldn’t be, right? She would have told me. We talk about everything. No. Not possible.” He shook his head a bit in attempt to get the mysterious boy off his mind. He had only just met him, and he can’t stop thinking about him. What was going on?

“Molly! I didn’t know you were going to be here this summer! Why didn’t you tell any of us?” Mike said happily, snapping John out of his thoughts. 

“I wasn’t even sure I was going to be coming! It was a pretty last minute kind of thing, and I was honestly a bit worried about coming. I’m so glad you guys are all here, this is going to be such a fun summer!”

“One can certainly hope,” John added. “You never know with these things. We may get stuck with really dry instructors or counselors. But not to worry! You all better be glad I’m here to make things bearable,” he finished flashing a cocky smile to everyone.

“Oh yeah, we’re all bowing at your feet for having saved us,” Greg answered while rolling his eyes and clutching his heart dramatically.

“Well, I for one am very glad you’re here, John,” Molly added with a bright, genuine smile.

“Thanks, Mols,” John said with a reciprocated smile, “I’m glad you’re here too. And I think you’re right. This will be a fun summer since we’re all here.”

At this moment, a girl with short blonde hair and a well painted face sauntered up to the table beside John. She gently peeked around the table and said “Hi, I was wondering if this seat was taken,” while motioning to the empty seat by John. 

“Uh, nope. Go ahead,” he answered.

The girl sat down and looked around the table again before she spoke. “Hello, my name is Mary. I’m new around here and don’t know a single soul here. Do you mind if I hang with you guys?”

“Not at all!” Molly said with a welcoming smile. “I’m Molly, and this is Greg, Mike, and John,” she said while gesturing to each of the boys while she rolled off their names.

Mary gave gentle nods to Greg and Mike, then looked straight into John’s eyes, held out her hand for him to shake and said, “It’s really, very nice to meet you.” John could see the shine of desire in her eyes and stance but decided to overlook it. She was undoubtedly pretty, and John knew that he would be attracted to her, normally. But there was something telling John that there wouldn’t be anything worthwhile there and there was something more important he needed to focus on. He didn’t know what it was, but he couldn’t help but listen to what his mind was telling him. Still, John was a gentleman, so he reached out a hand to shake hers politely and replied, “Nice to meet you too.”

“So, John,” Greg starts, “who’d you end up rooming with?”

“Some bloke named Sherlock. He’s quiet and kinda reserved from what I’ve seen so far.”

“Is that the kid that walks by the pitch almost every day during practice?” Mike asked.

“Yup, that’s him.”

“Oh, I know him!” Greg added. “He’s a total crime nerd. You all know how my dad’s a DI? Well, Sherlock is always giving them anonymous tips and advice during cases. The guy’s a genius. He’s got a real knack for puzzle solving. Has he done the thing to you yet?”

“The thing?”

“Yeah, the ‘deduction’ thing, as he calls it. It’s where he tells you everything about yourself after just meeting you. Mad creepy it is, but pretty impressive.”

“Wow, that sounds intense. He hasn’t done anything like that to me. At least not yet. I mean, I noticed him kind of like..scan me? But he didn’t say anything to me.”

“That’s fairly odd. He usually doesn’t have a filter. That’s what gets him into trouble with the kids at school. He’s always calling them out for stuff, and it usually ends with him getting shoved into a locker or worse. Poor sod.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty terrible,” Molly chimed in. “The poor guy is bullied just because he’s smart. It never made sense to me, but it doesn’t matter what I tell him, it still gets under his skin. He tries to play it off and act unphased, but I know better. I’ve known him for a couple years now. We’ve been chem partners since sophomore year. It took me a while to get used to him, but once he lets you in just a little bit, it’s a lot easier to understand him. He really is a nice guy, he’s just got to have thick skin to get through the bullies.”

“Man, I knew people didn’t really associate with him, but I had no idea he was treated like that. That’s just awful,” John replied with a sympathetic tone in his voice and a troubled look on his face.

“He is rather fetching, isn’t he though?” Molly said with a light sigh as she rested her head on top of her propped up hands. John’s eyes widened a bit as he felt a blush threatening to creep up his neck. “It really is a shame,” she went on to say.

“What’s a shame?” John asked with a hint of hopefulness in the tone of his voice. Wait, hopeful? What would he have to be hopeful about? 

“Well, after getting to know him and gaining his trust over the past couple years, my dreams of dating him were crushed,” she said. “One day, I tried o bring up the subject of dating and I found out that he isn’t exactly playing for my team, if you know what I mean.”

“Wait, so he’s gay?” Mike asked, surprised.

“Yup. Completely. I was as shocked at you are. With that face, it’s a damn shame. I can’t believe girls aren’t falling at his feet. I mean, just look at him!” she answered. Now, that got John’s attention. He felt..excited? Why would hearing that Sherlock is gay make John excited? That just didn’t make any sense. I mean, John is straight. At least, he has been thus far. He had only dated women before, so what’s got him all worked up now? He thought back to what Molly had said and looked back to find Sherlock again. He was met with a pair of piercing eyes, looking right at him. Johns face suddenly caught on fire as a deep blush burned his cheeks. He looked away as quickly as their eyes had met, and he let out an awkward cough as he tried to settle himself. What was wrong with him?

“Oh, it looks like the meeting is about to start!” Mary said as she let out a squeal of excitement. “Thank god,” John thought to himself silently.

~

After entering the cafeteria, John quickly found his friends, which left Sherlock alone in the doorway. For a moment, Sherlock felt sad at being left and forgotten so soon. But then he remembered that he had no reason to feel that way. He and John had only just met and it wasn’t like they were friends anyway. They’re just stuck sharing a room together. Those thoughts gave Sherlock a slight pang of sadness, but he ignored it as he began to make his way to his usual table in the back. It was nice and secluded. Far away from everyone else who were chatting loudly and obnoxiously with one another. “Tedious,” Sherlock thought to himself while rolling his eyes at the crowd of teens.

Sherlock quickly made it to the table and was very happy to see Mrs. Hudson already sitting at the table. “Hello, sweetie!” she said to him as he pulled his chair out and sat down at the table, “How are you settling in so far?”

“Fine, I guess..” he answered softly.

“Is there something you’re not telling me, dear? I noticed you at the registry this morning. Don’t try to fool me, I know when something is bothering you.”

“It’s just..my roommate..”

“What’s wrong? Has he been mean to you? Just say the word and I’ll give him a stern talking to, young man.”

“That’s just it. He hasn’t been mean to me. It’s..odd.”

“Well, that’s good news isn’t it? You want to be in a happy place with your roommate, or things will be just miserable all summer.”

“Yes, but there’s something else too.”

“What is it, dear?”

“You know that boy I had told you about? The one who didn’t know I existed. The captain of the rugby team. The boy who I was obsessed with, but could never ever have?”

“Oh no, he isn’t..”

“Oh, yes. He most definitely is.”

Mrs. Hudson then began to burst into a fit of giggles. “Mrs. Hudson, I hardly think there is anything funny about this situation.”

“Oh, Sherlock. You really can be so thick sometimes. This is a good thing. Sharing a room with your crush for two whole months? Something is bound to happen. And you said he’s already being nice to you! That’s already a step in the right direction. You two have started off on the right foot, which is a very good thing. Just give yourself some time and warm up to him. I know you like to lock yourself up and not let anyone in, but you’re going to have to let him in, dear.”

Sherlock leaned back in his chair and let out a heavy sigh. He let Hudders go on with her lecture about opening up more and began thinking about John. Well, not really begin. He was almost always thinking about him. He thought back to their meeting this morning. It had gone rather well, he thought. In his mind, he thought he would just crumble. Literally. But this had been much smoother, which he was very grateful for. Although, John’s sudden appearance in the room did paralyze him for at least a full minute. It took him a while to fully take in and process the sight before his very eyes. John just looked utterly gorgeous. Sherlock had only been able to see John from afar for the past years, so seeing him up close was like a slap in the face. Sherlock knew John was very attractive already, but he was so unprepared for the extent of it. John’s skin was beautifully sun kissed and seemed to just radiate warmth. Sherlock swore he could feel it. His eyes were a beautiful hazelnut color and they seemed to have a spark of light in them that never dimmed. And his hair – oh, his gorgeous hair. It was like fresh honey taken from a hive with pure gold mixed in. But this all was of course nothing compared to John’s build. Sherlock walked past the pitch almost every day, so he knew john was incredibly active, but he did not expect him to be so muscular. Not in the slightest. Thanks to the perfectly tight tank top that he was wearing, Sherlock could perfectly see the curved of John’s pectoral muscles, and his strong arms were completely exposed and available for Sherlock to examine. Sherlock wanted to memorize every curve of his muscles and feel every dip in his skin. To top it all off, John had very visible veins running up and down his arms, just begging for attention, which Sherlock was very happy to provide. John was collectively the most beautiful, gorgeous, hot, and sexy thing he had ever seen in his life. 

While replaying the breathtaking scene in his mind, Sherlock didn’t even notice that he began staring at John in the cafeteria. That is, until he saw John turn his head and instantly meet his gaze. “Fuck. Caught red handed. Or rather, red faced,” Sherlock thought to himself as he felt his face glow with embarrassment at having been caught staring shamelessly. He looked away as quickly as he could and tried to pretend nothing happened. Soon after, Hudders was patting his arm, ripping him out of his thoughts, telling him the meeting was about to start. 

“Into battle,” he murmured to himself. 

A very annoyingly chipper woman in khaki pants and a yellow camp t-shirt stepped up onto the small platform that was put at the front of the cafeteria. “Hello all you happy campers, and welcome to Baskerville’s Youth Camp! We are all so very glad that you’ve decided to join us this summer. Are you ready to start a fun filled summer with us?” she asked, which earned her an eruption of cheers from the crowd of teens. 

“Now, before we get into all the fun stuff, we have a short list of boring stuff to get out of the way. First thing’s first – scheduling! Each morning, there is breakfast until 10am. During breakfast, schedules will be posted for each group of campers. We have two groups who will be based on what cabins you are all in that will rotate activities each day. Anyone with a cabin numbered followed by the letter A will be in group one and those with a B will be in group two! After breakfast each day, the first activity will begin. Followed by this, we will have lunch every day from noon until 1:00. After lunch, there will be another activity from 2:00 until 4:00. Dinner is served at 5:00, then you have all of your nights off to do whatever you please! There will be an optional activity every night which you may attend, if you wish.”

Sherlock was already dreading all of this. Remembering his past experiences with activities involving others, this was sure to be disaster. Sherlock wasn’t the least bit athletic, and he doesn’t work well with others. This wasn’t going to be good.

“Now, the last thing before we let you all go until dinner, we have everyone’s least favorite topic – rules and regulations. There aren’t very many, so just bear with us for a moment while we get it out of the way! There is to be no fighting while here at camp. We have counselors here to help settle any disputes you may have. Next, there will be no drugs or alcohol on the grounds. Also, you may not skip any activities without a viable excuse. And finally, the curfew is at 9:00 pm every night. Everyone must be in their cabins at that time each night. Now that everything is squared away, you are free to spend your time until dinner as you wish! Feel free to continue settling in your cabins or explore the grounds. We’ll see you all back here for dinner at 5:00!”

With that, Sherlock immediately bolted for the door and made his way back to the room. He had absolutely no interest with interacting with others or walking the grounds he already knew. He was way more interested in relaxing in his room, looking at new samples of gravel that he gathered from outside his cabin on the walk back.

John, on the other hand, was bombarded by his group of friends, all of them chatting about what they all wanted to see on the grounds. John wasn’t really looking to see anything specific, so he just let them all lead the way as he followed, with Mary still very uncomfortably to him. They had made it all the way around the camp to see everything by the time 5:00 rolled around. They all returned to the cafeteria to grab dinner together. John tried scanning the room again for Sherlock, thinking of inviting him over to have dinner with the group, but he was nowhere to be found, which made John worry a bit. Why was he worried? This day just keeps getting more strange.

After a rather delicious dinner with fun conversation about expected activities, it was time for everyone to head back to their cabins for the night to get some rest before their first day of activities. John was surprised at feeling relieved to find sherlock laying on his bed, reading a book titled “The Science of Piracy”, which John couldn’t help but smile curiously at. Sherlock’s luxurious long legs were crossed, and he had an arm hooked around his head to cushion it against the wall, using his other hand to hold to book while he read.

“Hey, Sherlock! I didn’t see you at dinner tonight?”

“Oh, hello, John,” Sherlock said as he quickly shut his book and placed it on the desk beside his bed. “I, uh..wasn’t really feeling well, so I just stayed here.”

“I’m sorry you weren’t feeling well. I hope you’re feeling better now. I’m sure you’ll need your strength for whatever activity we’ll have tomorrow!” John said with an excited smile. Truth be told, John was quite looking forward to the activities. Athletics are is strong suit and he felt excited to show off his skills for some reason he couldn’t quite figure out.

“Yes, I’m sure I will. Thank you for your concern,” Sherlock answered quietly.

“Well, I’m exhausted. It’s been rather a long day. Do you need the loo? I’m going to hop in for a quick shower before I head to bed, if that’s okay.”

“By all means,” Sherlock said while gesturing to the bathroom.

“Alright, thanks.”

John grabbed a set of pajama pants and an old t-shirt, then headed into the bathroom. Sherlock, while in the bedroom, began changing into his own pajamas, and tried desperately not to think about John just a couple yards away, getting into the shower. Oh god, just the thought had Sherlock trembling. After dressing, Sherlock climbed back onto his bed and began reading again. Not long after, he heard the shower stop running, then the tap. After a couple more minutes, a dewy looking John emerged from the bathroom with damp, ruffled hair that looked simply divine. Sherlock tried not to stare as John made his way over to the light switch and paused when he got there.

“Are you ready for the light?”

“Yes, go ahead,” he answered as he shut his book again and began pushing back his duvet. John then switched off the light and climbed back onto his bed, getting under his covers, just as Sherlock had. 

John thought for a moment before saying, “Night, Sherlock.”

After a moment of hesitation, Sherlock answered, “Goodnight, John.” And, with that, they both fell asleep thinking about what was to come. Thoughts wandering from activities to each other. Who knew what was in store?


	7. Let the Games Begin

Sherlock hadn’t slept well that night. He had only gotten a few hours in after he had fallen asleep, but he was used to it. He had found out at an early age that he doesn’t need much sleep to function, so he just doesn’t. He woke at around midnight and found that his attempts to fall back asleep were all for nothing. There was no way he was getting back to sleep. With a soft sigh of defeat, Sherlock rolled onto his side and looked at John. In all honesty, Sherlock absolutely loved this. Since John was fast asleep, there was nothing to stop Sherlock from staring at him. Sherlock heard a voice in the back of his head telling him to stop because it’s rather creepy to watch people while they sleep, but Sherlock easily pushed that voice away and continued staring.

Sherlock knew John was breathtakingly beautiful and insanely hot in daylight, but he had no idea he would look so soft as he slept. It was a little difficult to see in the darkness of their room, but the small stream of moonlight peering in from the window on the wall by Sherlock’s bed illuminated his face perfectly. The soft moonlight ghosted over John’s face, giving him an angelic glow. Sherlock had to stifle a sigh of longing just from looking at him. His perfectly tanned skin looked so soft, with the lines in his forehead smoothed over, along with his smile lines. His hair was a bit disheveled from moving in his sleep, and Sherlock thought it looked rather enticing. 

Just as Sherlock was beginning to notice the warmth of their room, he noticed John starting to shift in his bed. Sherlock pulled the covers up to his face quickly, so he wouldn’t be caught staring but stopped just shy of his eyes so he could still catch a glimpse of him. He froze when he noticed what John was doing – he was moving his covers down his torso to get some cool air on his skin, and oh my goodness. Sherlock was fairly warm before, but now he was on fire. In John’s sleepy movements, he moved his covers down his torso, and pulled the hem of his shirt up a bit in the process, laying on his back with one arm to his side and the other laid above and around his head. Sherlock felt his mouth fall open slightly as his eyes traveled down John’s lean, muscled torso. There were only about three inches of skin exposed on John’s stomach, but that was more than enough for Sherlock. It was just enough so that Sherlock could see John’s deep v lines and the low muscles of his abs. Sherlock could feel himself salivating just looking at the delicious boy across from him. 

After a long while of staring and filing away every detail he could see into his mind palace, he started thinking about John’s behavior towards him. He had been surprisingly kind to Sherlock and he didn’t understand him. In general, jocks are usually seen as the bad guys for people like Sherlock, who were constantly bullied. Sherlock had certainly had his fair share of run ins with members of the rugby team, but John hasn’t been anything but nice to him so far. It was quite puzzling to Sherlock, but it wasn’t like he was complaining. It just made him wonder if he was doing it just for appearances, or he was playing nice only to harm Sherlock more in the future. It was hard to say. Sherlock didn’t know what to expect, so he found it best to just keep his distance and protect himself. 

Out of his own personal interests, Sherlock hadn’t given voice to any of his deductions about John, and he doesn’t plan to. Of course, he has most of John mapped out, but he didn’t want to ruin whatever peace they had as of now. This, in and of itself, still stroke him as odd. Sherlock was never one to keep his opinions and deductions to himself, with anyone. He usually didn’t have a filter and didn’t bother trying to have one, even if it would save him from another punch or shove from his classmates. So, why would he be keeping it to himself now? 

Before Sherlock could do any more thinking about it, he looked at the time and saw that it was nearing 8:00 am. John would probably be awake soon, and Sherlock didn’t want to be present for that, just in case something would go wrong, so he thought it best to get up and get ready for the day now. With that, he gently lifted himself off of his bed and began to get ready. He tried to be as silent as possible as he searched his drawers for what to wear for the day. In preparation for the cool morning air, Sherlock chose a pair of black skinny jeans, paired with a crisp white button down and black high-top converse shoes. He went to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, and spent a bit longer than normal sorting out his curls. Once he was satisfied, he rolled his white sleeves to his elbows and quietly made his way out of the room to head to the main hall.

Sherlock doesn’t really do food, so he just went to the registry to spend his morning with Mrs. Hudson, as per usual. When he entered the registry, he saw her sitting at her desk with two cups of tea next to her.

“Oh, good morning, dear! I’ve got your tea, just the way you like it, right here,” she said as she handed him one of the cups.

“Thank you, Hudders. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’d starve is what you would do! Here,” she began as she began reaching for something out of her bag hanging from her chair, “you need to eat, Sherlock. Don’t think I didn’t notice you skip dinner last night, young man,” she finished as she pulled an apple out of her bag and held it out for him to take. 

“You really don’t have to-“

“Not a chance, mister! You take this apple and eat it at once. I won’t have you starving yourself on my watch.”

Sherlock chuckled a sigh as he sat down in the seat next to her and took the apple and said, “As you wish.”

“That’s a good boy,” she added with a victorious smile. “So, how was your first night, dear? Did you sleep well? Any progress with you know who?” she asked with a wry smile on her lips.

“Yes, I slept fine, thank you. And there will be no ‘progress’. Nothing is going to happen. I’m just going to lay low, keep my distance, and wait for this summer to just be over.”

“Oh, Sherlock. I do wish you weren’t so timid sometimes. Don’t you see that this is a wonderful opportunity? I mean, just think about it! What are the chances of you and John going to the same summer camp at the same time and being paired up to room together? That’s simply amazing!”

“I’m glad my misery is so appealing to you,” Sherlock replied dryly as he took a bite of his apple.

“Just try to be optimistic for once, it’ll do you good. Give it some time and see what happens!”

“I’ll do my best, but I cannot make any promises.”

“As long as you try to put yourself out there just a little bit, I’ll be happy, dear.” She said as she gently rubbed Sherlock’s arm. “Oh, I nearly forgot! Here’s your schedule for your first day!”

Sherlock took the paper from Mrs. Hudson’s hand and began to scan over it. For group B, the first activity was going to be name tag making, followed by icebreaker games to get to know the group, and the second activity was going to be a nature trail walk around the grounds. Sherlock rolled his eyes at the dull, childish nature of name tags and icebreaker games, but he saw the nature trail as a silver lining. Sherlock enjoyed a nice walk and a good view, so he expected it to be at least bearable.

He spent the rest of his morning with Mrs. Hudson, drinking tea and slowly finishing off his apple, until 10:00 rolled around and it was time to start the arduous day ahead. 

~

John awoke to his alarm at 8:45 am to a surprisingly empty room. John felt something inside him that seemed like..disappointment? “But, what do I have to be disappointed about? He doesn’t owe me anything?” he thought to himself. He shook his head at his foolishness as he stood up from his bed, but it did nothing to shake that feeling away. He swiftly walked over to the light switch to turn the lights on while he got ready. He went to brush his teeth first, then began rooting around his drawers for an outfit. After a while of indecisiveness, he decided to go with a pair of Levi jeans, with a blue v-neck and his tried and true red converse shoes. 

He was just taking a final look in the mirror, ruffling his hair a bit, when he heard a knock at the door that made him jump. He quickly made his way to the door to answer it, and found Mike and Greg outside.

“Hey, good morning boys!” he said with an excited smile.

“Good morning, John” Greg answered, “we were just about to go to breakfast. If you’re ready, do you wanna join us?”

“Yeah, I was just finishing up. Let’s go!” John answered as he walked out of his cabin, shutting the door and locking it behind him.

Together, they laughed all the way to the main hall, excitedly chattering about what they all thought what the first activity would be. When they entered the main hall, they made their way to the cafeteria. John couldn’t help himself when he started scanning the room for Sherlock, and he could do nothing to stop the same disappointing feeling he felt this morning when he didn’t find him. He let out a defeated sigh while running a hand through his hair and just continued making his way to the food stations. He grabbed a tray and began filling it with a plate of waffles with syrup, some strawberries, and a few pieces of bacon. To top it all off, he grabbed a glass of water, then followed Mike and Greg to the end of the food bar. They all looked over the crowd until they saw Molly and Mary sitting at a table near the end of the room, then began making their way over.   
When they arrived at the table, Mike and Greg took two of the three empty seats, regrettably leaving John with the seat next to Mary. John didn’t mind sitting next to her, he just didn’t want to deal with the inevitable flirting and the never ending twenty questions he was surely in for. He sat down and she instantly turned to him with a huge grin plastered onto her face, which was covered in makeup that must have taken her ages to do. 

“Good morning, John!” she said in a rather shrill tone. “How was your first night?”

“Oh, uh, it was fine. Yours?” he returned kindly as he popped a strawberry in his mouth.

“It was great, thanks! I really do like it here! Don’t you like it here? It’s just so pretty and naturey!” 

“Yeah, it is really nice here,” he offered with a small smile as he glanced at the door just to see if Sherlock would walk in. No luck there. Thankfully, Molly jumped into conversation, saving John.

“Did everyone grab a schedule when they came in? I’ve got one here if you didn’t.” She gave her schedule to John, so he could look it over. As soon as he saw the words “name tag” and “icebreaker” he let out an amused laugh.

“Well, this ought to be good,” he said with a light, sarcastic tone as he began cutting pieces of his waffle.

“Yeah, isn’t that a bit silly? I mean, we’re nearly adults now. Aren’t we a bit old for this?” Greg added.

“Well, I think it will do us all good,” Molly answered. “I think it will be a nice way to introduce everyone in the group and get to know each other a bit. We are going to be spending all summer with these people, so it should be nice to start off on the right foot.”

Now, that got John thinking. Maybe this is just what he needed! Icebreakers are usually a tedious activity, forcing you to “get to know” people you don’t really care about knowing. But, in this case, it’s the perfect excuse to get to know someone he really wants to get to know. This would be the perfect opportunity to really get to know Sherlock! At least a little bit. He wasn’t sure if Sherlock would really participate much seeing how he’s been pretty reserved already, but at least he could probably get something. Anything.

As John finished up his breakfast, everyone kept chatting about what they thought the icebreakers would be and who they thought would be in their group. John just ate his breakfast and tried to think of a plan for getting to Sherlock. Soon, the clock struck 10:00. Let the games begin.


	8. Two Truths, One Lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy, oh boy, it has been A WHILE. Sorry for not updating - as you may have seen in the comments, I was feeling a little unconfident and unsure of myself before. I was feeling uneasy about how my work was turning out, so I just gave up and stopped writing. However, upon request, I will be writing again! Thank you to all of you who are still here after the hiatus, and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, which is dedicated entirely to you guys!!! Happy reading! <3

As the clock struck 10:00 am, Sherlock bid his goodbyes to Mrs. Hudson and began walking to the cafeteria. As he entered the room and took a spot on the nearby wall, he saw the woman from the previous night making her way to the front of the room, in the same camp counselor uniform, to address the rather rowdy group of teenagers. When she made it to the microphone sitting on the platform at the front of the cafeteria, she took it in her hand and began her morning speech.

“Good morning, everyone! It’s so nice to see all of you so excited this morning! I trust you all slept well and had a good breakfast, so you’ll have plenty of energy for the day ahead! Now it’s time for the first activities to begin! I hope you all grabbed a schedule when you came in this morning, but it’s okay if you forgot. The activities for today will be name tag designing with icebreaker games to get to know your fellow campers, along with a nature trail walk of the grounds to get you familiar with the camp, if you didn’t get the chance yesterday. Now, group one will go on the nature trail first while group two will be designing their name tags and getting to know each other, then the groups will trade off after lunch. Will everyone please stand while our staff members get the cafeteria ready for group two, and group one will make their way outside to meet at the nature trail. Have fun, everyone!”

With that, everyone stood up at once and began separating into groups. While everyone who was in group one was shuffling out of the cafeteria to go to the trail, John found himself unable to stop sorting through the crowd, searching for Sherlock’s porcelain face. At long last, he found it. Sherlock was standing alone, leaning on the wall next to the entrance of the cafeteria, watching silently as half of the room disappeared out the door. John felt himself break out into a wide smile and breathe out a sigh of relief. “Gotcha,” he muttered under his breath. John felt a rush of excitement rake through him as the thought of being able to sit down with Sherlock and really figure him out - or at least try to. He found himself unable to tear his gaze from the mysterious boy. He looked reserved, with strong walls around him, but he looked so fragile at the same time. It was like a clash of two extremes, fighting for dominance, which was very captivating. John felt his brows knit together as he tried to decipher the boy. He wanted nothing more than to just take a look at what was really going on in his head.

He also couldn’t help but notice Sherlock’s beauty. John could feel himself staring, but he just couldn’t stop – it was like he was under an unbreakable spell. Sherlock looked so professional in his crisp white dress shirt, which fit his slim frame absolutely perfectly. It was like it was tailored just for him. John’s eyes began traveling down to marvel at the snug skinny jeans that hugged his form so deliciously. Molly was wrong – it wasn’t just girls that should be falling at his feet, everyone should be falling at his feet. John has never seen someone like Sherlock in all his life. He was stunning, to say the least. He was such a unique type of beauty. John was practically hypnotized by his existence. 

Not long after group one had vacated the room, camp staff members began filing out into the room with note cards, sleeves for the cards, and boxes of crayons, colored pencils, and markers for decorating. They put them on the tables closest to the front of the room for the campers to sit at and begin their name tag activity. Once everything seemed to be set up, a young man in a camp uniform stepped onto the platform and began speaking, ripping John out of his drooling state.

“Hello, everyone! My name is Eric, and I’m going to be your group leader for this summer. Now that everything is set out for you to make your name tags, you can all take a seat at these tables and begin designing your tags! Please make sure to put at least your first name, or nickname, if you wish. You may decorate your tags using the art supplies provided, just so long as they’re appropriate. After about fifteen minutes, I’ll have you all take a card sleeve and pin the tags onto your shirts, then we will begin the icebreaker games! So, get started!”

Once Eric was finished giving the instructions, everyone separated into their personal friend groups and sat down at the tables. John sat at a table with his group of Greg, Mike, Molly, and Mary, while Sherlock swiftly and discretely made his way to the far end of the tables, taking a seat away from the mass of people. John watched him as he secluded himself and felt a twinge of sadness. He wanted to invite him over to join him and his group, but he didn’t want to be too forward, and he didn’t want to push Sherlock, so he decided to leave him be at least until the games started.

Sherlock glanced down the row of tables, looking at John. He hadn’t missed John’s strong presence when he first entered the cafeteria, but he tried to look as aloof as possible, as to not draw attention to himself. He noticed John look over at him when the groups began separating, but he refused to let himself meet his gaze. He waited, not so patiently, for the group to leave the room and the activity to start. As usual, Sherlock grabbed a seat at the end, away from everyone else. He didn’t really like sitting alone. He’d be lying if he said seeing everyone settling into their groups of friends didn’t hurt him. Deep down, he wished he had something like that. A group of people who accepted and understood him. People that wanted to be around him. But he had convinced himself that it could and would never happen a very long time ago, so he just isolated himself like he always did. Nothing new there.

He picked up a little white card, along with a black colored pencil, then began writing his first name in fluid cursive letters. Sherlock did have beautiful handwriting, since he had spent years practicing calligraphy in his spare time. He took his time punctuating each letter as seamlessly as he could. It looked perfect when he had finished, but he couldn’t help feeling that it lacked something. He looked around, seeing everyone decorating the cards around their names. After seeing this, Sherlock decided to add a little color to his card. He returned his black colored pencil, then took a deep blue one instead. It reminded him of his favorite scarf, packed deep in a drawer in his cabin. He knew it was summer and he probably wouldn’t get a chance to wear it, but he couldn’t bear to leave it at home. With the pencil, he began coloring in the background of his card, lightly. Once he was satisfied with the color of his card, he grabbed a sleeve, put the card in it, and gingerly pinned it onto his shirt, trying to avoid any permanent holes. He then sat back in his chair and waited in anxiousness for the games to begin, occasionally stealing glances at John.

Down the row of tables, John had taken a seat with his friends, about five tables down from where Sherlock had settled. He sat down at the table with a somewhat heavy heart, and before he could grab Greg, Mary merrily plopped herself down next to him. “Great,” he thought to himself, internally rolling his eyes, only really letting out a small sound of defeat.

“This is so exciting!” she began, batting her eyes mercilessly. 

“Here we go with the twenty questions. Again,” John thought to himself.

“Do you know how you’re going to decorate your card?” she asked him.

“Uh, I’m not sure yet. Probably just rugby stuff, I guess.” He answered without much enthusiasm. In truth, he didn’t really want to boast about his rugby skills. He wanted to show what he was actually interested in, instead. Maybe put a scalpel on the card, or a doctor’s mask and gloves. Perhaps his microscope to try and catch Sherlock’s eye. He ultimately decided against it.

“Oh, that’s so cool! You’re so gifted with it, so it makes perfect sense,” she said while leaning in close to him, undoubtedly trying to display a bit of cleavage and gently putting her hand on his arm. John just gave her a thin, halfhearted smile in return and waited until she finally removed her hand. He then picked up a white card and a red colored pencil. He began writing his name in bold, thick letters. He decided to really take his time with his writing. He didn’t have the nicest handwriting, but it never bothered him before. So why was he trying so hard to make it look good all of a sudden? It’s not like his handwriting hadn’t been seen before, so what gives? He just shook the thoughts out of his head and did his best to ignore the redness silently creeping up his neck as he chanced another look at Sherlock. 

“That’s time!” Eric’s voice somehow managed to cut through the chattering of the teens. “Now, it’s time for our next activity – two truths, one lie! Everyone line up on either side of the tables, partnering up with someone across from you. It’s okay to start with someone you’re familiar with, but this is a get to know you activity, so try to meet some new people! I’ll set a timer for five minutes, then you’ll switch partners and go again. Everyone ready? Go!”

Immediately, John looked towards sherlock and was surprised to see him actually already paired up with someone. A nice looking girl with short brown hair and a rather short skirt. John couldn’t help the feeling that began to grow in his chest. It felt a lot like jealousy, but before he could dwell on it, Mary showed up in front of him, forcing him into captivity. John tore his eyes away from Sherlock with that girl and began the game with Mary. 

“Okay,” she began. “first, I have two dogs. Second, I’m naturally blonde. And third, I really love spy thriller movies.”

John thought for a moment and guessed “Uh, you don’t have two dogs?”

“Oh my goodness, yes, you’re right! You’re so smart, it’s like we already know each other so well,” she squealed, finishing with a rather suggestive look.

“Okay, erm..first, I’m being scouted by universities for rugby. Second, I’ve considered going for the army. Third, I take sugar in my coffee.”

“Ooh, so interesting! I think you’re lying about the army,” she guessed with a triumphant smirk.

“Nope,” John smiled at having fooled her. “I actually don’t take sugar in my coffee.”

“Oh, wow, you want to be a soldier? That’s so brave,” she cooed. Thankfully, before she continued, the timer went off, signaling the move to another couple. Mary smiled and waved goodbye to John, to which he gave a nod in return. Without a second thought, he looked down the row of tables again in search of Sherlock. When he found him, he was happy to see he hadn’t been paired yet. This was his chance! He dashed over to Sherlock, trying not to look crazed and desperate in the process. When he got to Sherlock, he quickly switched from predatory weirdo to suave heartbreaker – puffing his chest a bit and putting on his best smile.

“Oh, hello, John.” Sherlock said smoothly, eyeing him suspiciously as they sat down across from one another.

“Hey, Sherlock! Wanna be partners? I think it’s only fair since we’ll be rooming together all summer. I’d like to get to know you a bit more.”

Sherlock took a moment to process the request before answering, “Yes, I suppose you’re right. I’ll start. First, I have an insufferable older brother. Second, I can name and number all different types of tobacco ash. Third, I’ve never attended a summer camp before.” Although his exterior was immaculate, Sherlock could feel himself fidgeting with his hands below the table in nervousness. 

Without even thinking, John replied mid-laugh “Okay, that tobacco ash thing has GOT to be a lie.”

Sherlock smirked in return while shaking his head lightly.

“What?! You’ve got to be joking!” 

“Can’t say that I am, but I’m not surprised at your disbelief. Would you like a demonstration?”

“Absolutely,” John replied with a challenging grin. Sherlock never could resist provocation.

“Alright then. Khaini, mishri, zarda, mava, nass, sham-“

“Okay, okay, I believe you! Jeez, I never would have thought someone would know something like that.”

“I’m full of surprises, John,” Sherlock replied with a wink, taking his line from the day before. “Your go.”

“Oh, right, let’s see…got it! I happen to have an insufferable older sister, I don’t want to be a professional rugby player despite what everyone thinks, and I have a lovely girlfriend.” He said that last bit with a little extra razzle dazzle.

Sherlock took a moment to gather his thoughts. He was caught a little off guard with the whole girlfriend thing. Yes, he had assumed he had a girlfriend and he had come to terms with it, but he wasn’t prepared to hear John say it. After a moment, he simply replied “Older sister.”

John’s face stretched into a wry smile as he popped a single syllable, “Nope.”

Sherlock was stunned. He never gets things wrong. How was he wrong? He started to scramble, feeling devastated for embarrassing himself like this. “Then where’s the lie,” he asked.

“No girlfriend,” John replied.

Again, Sherlock was stunned. He couldn’t help the flips his heart and stomach were taking turns on. He felt heat shoot to his ears and cheeks as he lightly breathed, “Oh..”

“Surprised are you?” John asked, feeling very cocky all of a sudden.

“Well, I just thought captain of the rugby wouldn’t have a problem securing a woman. After all, that Mary girl seems to be pretty taken with you.”

“Eh. Not really interested. I’m just being friendly.”

“I see.” Sherlock thought on this for a moment. He felt relieved. Which is wrong. He felt hopeful. Which was also wrong. John was so obviously NOT gay, so there’s no room for hope here. With this, Sherlock got a grip on his brain, but failed to reign in his heart. 

Just as John took a breath in preparation to keep the conversation going, the timer went off again, signaling another partner change. John felt his heart deflate in his chest knowing he now had to leave Sherlock. He tried to hide it from his face but only so much could be done as his face fell before looking back to Sherlock and saying goodbye.

“Well, I guess it’s time to give you up so someone else can have a go,” he started.

“Yes, I suppose it is,” Sherlock replied, mentally mulling over John’s particular vocabulary choice just then.

“I’ll see you around? Don’t be a stranger, alright? I’d love to share older sibling drama with you sometime later.”

“That can be arranged. See you later,” Sherlock finished. John gave him one more dazzling, full-toothed smile before turning and walking away to find another partner. He took this time to notice his irregular heartbeat and rapid thoughts about John wanting to see and talk to him again. How ‘bout that…


	9. Knight in Shining Armor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SMOKES FOLKS!!  
> My sincerest apologies for not updating sooner! Things just kept piling up one after another and I was stuck! However, silver lining, I FINISHED MY FIRST YEAR IN UNI! Also, now that it's summer, I can write whenever I want, so you can expect more consistent updates! :) I love you all and thank you SO so much for sticking with me through this dry spell! This one's for you guys!! Hope you enjoy it, as always :)) thank you all for your support! I can't wait to post more for you lovelies :))

The rest of the first activity was rather uneventful, not to anyone’s surprise. There’s only so much action you can get from ‘get to know you’ games. So, after a seemingly dreadfully long time, it was finally time for lunch. 

Even after what John had said about not being a stranger, Sherlock still wouldn’t approach him. How could he? They didn’t even know each other! There was no way Sherlock was going to put himself in the line of fire, willingly. Not a chance. He’s been down that road before and there was no way he’d do it again. So, Sherlock took his chance while everyone was bustling into the room to slip out, unseen. He decided he’d spend his lunch period with Mrs. Hudson, at her little nook at reception. He could never go wrong with her. 

John, on the other hand, had a much different train of thought. He was practically buzzing with excitement after having spoken with Sherlock, which he was having trouble understanding. I mean, yeah, it was good that they were beginning to get to know each other more since they’re roommates and all, but he shouldn’t be nearly this excited. Oh well – best not to dwell on it..

As soon as lunch began, John got a plate of some pretty generic school/camp food, consisting of a burger, tater tots, and an apple, along with a glass of water. He took a quick sweep of the room with his eyes and found that he came up empty. No Sherlock. He felt a frown of disappointment begin to form on his face, then the sound of his friends hollering his name pulled him out of his daze. He gave a bit of an annoyed sigh as he made his way to the table and sat down. 

“So,” Greg started, “how did everyone feel about the first activity?”

“I thought it was a load of bull, but it wasn’t as insufferable as I thought,” Mike answered. “Speaking of, John! I saw you talking to Sherlock for one of them. How was that? Was he a total weirdo?”

John was a little offended at what Mike had said, so he jumped the gun a little and spat, “He’s not a weirdo, Mike.” He stopped himself and took a calming breath before speaking again. “I’m sorry, Mike. He’s just..reserved. I’m not sure how else to describe it. Different? He’s actually rather nice. I’m glad I got the chance to talk to him a bit. It seems like he just disappears all the time.”

“No worries, John,” Greg chimed in. “I’m glad you got the opportunity to talk to him. And I’m sure you’ll have plenty of chances to talk to him this summer. You’re going to be rooming with him for two months, for Christ sake! Don’t you worry mate. You’ll get him to open up, for sure.”

John was a little shocked at Greg’s kind words. He smiled back at him and thanked him. After that, they spent the rest of lunch chatting about what’s to come for the rest of the day. They were all pretty excited about the nature walk!

~

Sherlock was surprisingly a big fan of the outdoors. He liked making games out of cataloging different species of trees, flowers, and other shrubbery. He liked seeing the different wildlife, shapes of leaves. He liked the sounds of the world around him. He really did enjoy it all and he found it quite beautiful. So, this walk in the woods was sure to be an enjoyable event, so long as he’s left alone by the others. Although..he wouldn’t mind a bit of attention from John..

John rather detested the woods. He has some memories that he’s not very fond of that take place in the woods behind his house. His father would make him get up in the wee hours of the morning to hike, run, and climb all throughout the woods for hours on end without breaks as training while off season for rugby. “Gotta stay in shape at all times, Johnny,” he’d say. God, it made his head spin. Although, with his glass half full attitude, he tried to look at the upside – Sherlock would yet again have nowhere to run to. John had a plan – he just had to put on his best Watson smile and saunter up to him, playing it cool while he dove into conversation. Easy peasy! 

As the group began assembling at the beginning of the trail, Sherlock found himself looking for John. He really couldn’t help himself, especially while John’s words still rang through his ears, setting off every mental alarm. Before his eyes could spot John, he felt a hard shove in his arm come out of nowhere.

“Well, well, well. Look who it is – the freak. I can’t believe I didn’t see you before,” came a snooty, witch-sounding voice, ”although, it’s not like I wanted to.”

Should have known – Phillip Anderson and Sally Donovan. The presidents of the ‘I Hate Sherlock” fan club. 

“Ah, good to see you too, Anderson, Sally,” he returned, giving each of them a curt nod as he said their names. 

“Good? Oh, I don’t think so,” Sally started. “Being stuck here with you all summer is going to be quite the opposite.”

“I could say the feeling is mutual. However, I’m sure I will be the least of your worries. You are aware of the cabin policies, correct?”

Anderson stepped forward and spoke up, “What are you going on about freak?”

“Well, you really shouldn’t expect to get away with sneaking to and from each others’ cabins in the middle of the night all summer. If I’ve noticed this early on, it shouldn’t take long for the counselors to figure it out. It’s written all over your sleep-deprived faces and wrinkled clothes. Don’t even get me started on how Sally is walking, which looks a bit more like waddling,” he rattled off with a smirk.

Even though not many of the others were fond of Sherlock, that didn’t stop them from erupting with giggles at the last point he made.

“Making enemies on the first day was a big mistake, freak,” Anderson growled as he lunged forward and pushed Sherlock so hard he fell backwards into a patch of dirt.

The next moment was nothing but a blur for Sherlock – it was like it was happening in slow motion. First, he saw Anderson draw his arm back, gearing up for what looked like a very painful punch. But, before he could even finish clenching his fist, a rush of movement appeared to be pummeling towards him. As he curled up in an attempt to protect himself from either Anderson or whatever that other thing was, he heard another voice coming from right in front of him. But it wasn’t just speaking – it was shouting. He removed his arms from around his face and looked up to see none other than John Watson standing in front of him, guarding him. Sherlock looked up at him, his mouth parted from surprise. Even from behind, he could still see John puffing up his chest in challenge. 

“What do you think you’re doing Phillip?!” John shouted as he pushed him back, away from Sherlock. Anderson took a moment to regain his balance before jumping back, putting himself inches from John’s face.

“I could ask you the same thing, Watson! I’m just giving the freak here what he deserves!”

“And what would that be, huh? What the hell did he do to you?!” John could feel his entire face burning with rage – he suspected that he looked quite similar to a beet at the moment. 

“Oi, that bastard was asking for it! He needs to learn to keep his mouth shut or I’ll shut it for him every chance I get!”

“Don’t even try to play coy with me. I saw you antagonizing him first! Heard you calling him a freak when he didn’t even say a single word to you!”

“Listen, you don’t know this freak. We do. So stay out of our business, got it?”

“No, I don’t ‘got it’! Stop calling him a freak. I know him plenty, so how about you stay away from my friend, eh? That is, unless you really wanna piss me off and see how it feels to get punched by a rugby player.”

“Whatever, Watson,” Anderson spat. “You’ll see. Shouldn’t take you long to see the real him. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” With that, Anderson finally pulled his face away from John’s. Before turning around to walk away, he shot Sherlock one more hate-filled glare. 

John held his defensive pose with his chest in the air and a firm scowl on his face until Anderson had entirely fled the scene with Sally in tow. Once they finally left, John let out a deep breath he didn’t know he was holding, then turned around to see a rather petrified Sherlock curled up on the ground. Instantly, his face softened and filled with worry. He felt his heart swell up to the point where it felt like it was going to burst right out of his chest. Then he slowly bent down and looked Sherlock in the eye.

“Hey, you. You alright?” he asked with a small smile.

Sherlock’s sharp, wide eyes softened when he looked at John. He let out a silent sigh of relief before answering, “Yes, I’m fine..thank you. What you, uh, what you just did, that was..um..good..”

“Of course! Anderson is such a prick, I’m sorry he was giving you a hard time. Here, let me give you a hand,” John answered, offering a hand out to help Sherlock get back onto his feet. 

Sherlock hesitated for a moment before taking John’s hand – for good reason. As soon as their skin touched, Sherlock’s face went from the slight blush he was already sporting to a full vermilion. It was something unearthly – he definitely wasn’t prepared to feel John’s rough, yet plush skin make contact with his own. And he definitely wasn’t ready to feel just a fraction of John’s strength as he gripped his hand harder to pull him up in one swift, fluid motion. Sherlock could barely hold himself up on his two feet. 

Once Sherlock regained his balance and felt stable, he looked up to find a pair of soft eyes already fixed on him. Somehow, Sherlock turned a shade even darker, and he could have sworn he saw John’s cheeks deepen in color as well – but that couldn’t be true. His mind had to be playing tricks on him. That’s all. Of course. Couldn't be anything else..right?

After a moment of semi-staring, they both realized that their hands were still clasped together, a bit tighter than they had to be. With a quick little cough, they both looked away sheepishly and removed their hands from one another, allowing Sherlock to dust some dirt off his pants from his fall.

“Hey, listen,” John started, shoving one hand in his pocket and moving the other to rub the back of his neck in nervousness, “if you want, you could walk with me for the trail? I just don’t want Anderson to try anything with you again – knowing him, he’s probably just waiting for another chance to mess with you.”

John sort of rushed that last bit out, making it seem a little panicked. Sherlock was stunned – first John saves him from the wrath of Anderson and Sally, then he asks Sherlock to walk with him? The summer just started and it was already shaping into the weirdest experience Sherlock had ever had. 

He blinked a few times, taking everything in to process it before answering, “Yes, I think that would be good. Thank you for offering.”

“Absolutely!” John returned. “Can’t let lunatics run around terrorizing innocents all the time. At least not if I can help it,” he finished with a wink, making Sherlock’s blush return along with a small smile.

It was at this point where the unpleasantly perky sound of a counselor’s voice rang through the air announcing the start of the hike. Sherlock and John were somewhat trailing behind all of the others, kind of secluding themselves from the mass of teenagers. This was sure to be interesting.


	10. Protector

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey howdy hey folks, back again with a new chapter! I love all of your comments!! They make me sooo happy!! I'm so glad you all liked the last chapter! I hope you'll like this one too :) I have my ideas written out for the next chapter so I'm hoping to have that posted tomorrow! Love you all! <3

With John and Sherlock tagging along in the back, the hike began. It really was beautiful. There was a canopy of trees, letting heavenly streams of light dance down on top of the group, illuminating the way. They were surrounded by different clusters of flowers and bushes. There were so many colors popping out around them, mixing with the scent of summer. It was all quite picturesque.

After the events of earlier, John was a little shaken up – although he wouldn’t let it show. It was all kind of a blur, really. One second he was strolling along, talking with his friends, then in a split second, he was diving in front of Sherlock, protecting him. Of course, John had always been one to stick up for others, but nothing like that. He was actually..angry? He felt every muscle in his body tense up when confronting Anderson. He would have taken him to the ground if he had pushed him just a little bit more. It’s a good thing he backed off when he did.

After walking side by side in silence for a few minutes, John decided to finally speak up. This was what he was looking forward to after all. A chance to really speak with Sherlock – not a five minute conversation about nearly nothing.

“Sorry about Anderson again. He’s such a pain,” he started.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m used to it by now,” Sherlock answered.

“What? You mean he does this regularly?” John asked, feeling himself tense up with anger once again.

“Well, yeah,” Sherlock answered again. “It’s pretty normal, actually. Has been for years now. He has a whole group of goons that thrive off of trying to torture me. That includes following me around at school, calling me every name in the book – usually ‘freak’ – putting notes with threats written on them in my locker, pushing me into said locker, along with a whole bunch of other stuff. So, yeah. It’s pretty regular by now,” he finished with a small sigh of defeat as he kicked some stones on the path.

Sherlock was trying to put on the bravest face he could muster, but that wasn’t how he was really feeling on the inside. Even though these things happen quite often and even though Sherlock has everyone believing none of their insults can touch him, he was completely different on the inside. Everything that happened added up. Everything. Every name he was called, every time he was pushed, every day he was forced to wait 30 minutes after school had been let out to go home because that’s the only way he could guarantee his safety. All of it adds up inside him. But no one knows, and he plans to keep it that way. He’s completely fine with everyone thinking he’s the emotionless machine that deduces everything and everyone in seconds – as long as it keeps him from getting even more hurt. Even if that meant being lonely forever.

As Sherlock rattled off the torturous things Anderson did to him for fun, John felt his face fall and his heart melt. For some reason, every cell in his body told him to hug Sherlock, but he knew he couldn’t – or rather shouldn’t. Instead, he just huffed with disbelief and said, “I’m so sorry Sherlock. That’s just awful.”

“Occupational hazard,” Sherlock stated simply.

“What’s that mean?”

“Well, I basically ask for it, according to them.”

“How in the world would you do that? I saw what happened earlier, you didn’t do a thing to him!”

“They aren’t big fans of my deductions. Those are what get me in trouble with that lot.”

“What are deductions?” John asked curiously.

This is when Sherlock got nervous. This is why people don’t like him. As much as he hated to admit it, he really wants John to like him – or at least tolerate him. He seems genuinely interested in learning of his deductions, but what if he just reacted like everyone else?

Sherlock shot John a questioning glance before asking, “Do you really want to know?”

John huffed a soft laugh before flashing a reassuring smile and answering, “Of course!”

Sherlock sighed and said, “Alright then. Did you hear me confront Anderson about his ‘free time’ with Sally?”

“Yes,” John exclaimed. “How in the world did you know that?”

“That’s where the deductions come in. I don’t know, I notice. I look at the little details about people and situations, coming to conclusions about reality.”

“Oh, no way! There is no possible way that works!”

Sherlock never could resist a challenge of wits, no matter how attractive the boy was. With a smirk on his face, Sherlock replied, “Oh, really? Then how would I know that your ‘passion’ for rugby is really just a front?”

John looked taken aback for a moment. “Oh no, here we go. Time to ruin another friendship,” Sherlock thought silently.

“How in the world did you know that?” John asked him, in a semi-serious tone.

“I saw,” Sherlock corrected before continuing. “Your books. It’s summer break, no one takes study books unless they’re genuinely interested. And those books aren’t about rugby – they’re about science, chemistry, and practicing medicine. If that wasn’t proof enough, let's take a look at the other night. My microscope wasn’t even out in the open and you were able to correctly identify it right down to the model, just from seeing the scope. My deduction? You aren’t really looking into rugby as a profession – you want to be a doctor. A surgeon, most likely. Also means you’re just using rugby to get you to university – quite a brilliant plan Captain Watson. Am I wrong?”

Sherlock finished with a smirk of victory and held it for a moment – until he realized his position and corresponding fate after having said all of those things. John slowed in his pace for a moment while he looked at Sherlock with his mouth wide open in shock. Again, Sherlock was just waiting for John to blow up on him. Mentally preparing himself for the slur of insults that were sure to follow. Not many people are very open to others spelling out their secrets and basically calling them frauds. 

“Bloody hell, Sherlock!” John blurted out suddenly. “That’s amazing! You really do have a keen eye, don’t you? I cannot believe you got all that just from observing. That’s really quite amazing!”

Sherlock stood there with shock painting his face. He felt like he was frozen in time – no one had ever reacted this way to his deductions. Amazing? That’s never been a word used to describe anything about Sherlock. This was all new. Sherlock wasn’t used to acceptance and praise. This was…pleasant. He could only hope that it would last and John wouldn’t do an about-face and turn on him.

Sherlock snapped out of his frozen state and huffed out a low, sarcastic chuckle before returning, “Well, you’d be the first to think so.”

“You’re kidding, right? How could anyone see something like that as anything other than amazing?”

“Quite easily, I’m afraid. Words like ‘amazing’ aren’t the kinds of vocabulary most people normally use in my regard.”

“What do people normally say?”

Sherlock chanced throwing a sly smile John’s way and could have sworn he saw John’s cheeks darken a shade or two in return before answering, “Piss off.”

John burst into a small fit of giggles in return. While John was laughing, Sherlock allowed himself to get a good look at him. The lighting in the woods did all sorts of favors for John’s appearance. The sunlight peering through the branches and leaves of the trees around them cast a beautiful glow all around them, also giving John’s hair a rather fetching shine. Sherlock couldn’t help but swoon on the inside at how happy John looked when he laughed. Sherlock let out an inaudible sigh of infatuation as he watched John’s eyes crinkle with joy. Sherlock then decided that this is how he likes to see John best. Happy. Cheerful. To the fullest extent.

After the giggles had died down, John felt his mind start to wander a bit. He felt someone staring in his direction. He looked around the crowd of teenagers for a moment before finding a pair of eyes glaring daggers towards Sherlock – eyes belonging to Mary. John felt offended and he felt a face of distaste take over his features. He tried to shake it off, but it just got him thinking more.

“Hey, Sherlock?”

Sherlock looked up brightly after hearing his name, giving John a light questioning look, wordlessly telling him to continue.

John felt his voice lower and soften with concern as he continued, “If anyone gives you a hard time again, please tell me. I mean anyone – not just Anderson or Sally. I don’t want people mistreating you. At least, not while I can help it.”

Once again, Sherlock felt his cheeks catch fire as he heard what John was saying. No part of him understood it. He’s not used to not understanding. Why did he want to protect Sherlock so badly? Why did he keep pushing on the subject? John barely even knows him – it doesn’t make sense.

Although, even though it didn’t make sense, that didn’t stop Sherlock’s chest from fluttering in excitement at the thought of John being his protector. He felt his pulse quicken and his breathing go a bit ragged. His body was betraying him – bending to John’s will. All he could muster was a quiet “Alright..” in response. 

John felt a small weight lift off him as Sherlock agreed. They continued walking in comfortable silence. As they walked, nearing the end of the trail, John couldn’t help but notice what looked like another small path, barely visible, leading deeper into the forestry. As he began wondering what it could lead to, his train of thought was derailed by their counselor, Eric. 

“Alrighty, folks! That’s the end of today’s adventure with Mother Nature! I hope you all had as much fun as I did! Now that our activity is concluded, It’s time for dinner! You all are welcome to start heading back to the dining hall now. Have a good evening! I’ll see you all tomorrow morning!”

Just as John was about to approach Sherlock again, he was met by another – of course – Mary. 

“Oh my goodness, that was such a beautiful stroll, don’t you think? I just love the outdoors,” she blathered while flirtatiously touching John’s arm.

John chuckled lightly, gently pulling his arm free. “Yeah, it was pretty nice. Where did..?”

John looked around for Sherlock, but he was nowhere to be seen. He felt a pang of sadness, missing Sherlock’s company already. What he didn’t know was that as soon as Mary showed her face, Sherlock took the opportunity to slip off into the evening, returning to their room to spend some time in his mind palace. He was in great need of some reorganizing in there after the events of this evening. He’s not quite sure how to feel..but he knew he didn’t feel bad.


	11. Not On My Watch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I am SO sorry! Remember when I said I had ideas? Well, they all vanished and I had the most insane case of writer's block, so I would just like to apologize for that, please forgive me!  
> But I'm back now! So yay! Thanks to said writer's block, I'm just feeling kind of eh about this chapter, so let me know what you guys think. I seriously sat at my laptop with a word document open, just staring at this chapter for like weeks, so I'm just glad to get it done and published so I can move on :P  
> As always, I love you guys and thank you SO MUCH for sticking around after all this mumbo jumbo! I really hope you guys like this chapter and I am soooo grateful for your feedback on the last one! You guys are literal angels ilysm <3 :))

Dinner that night was nothing special – John quickly grabbed a sorry excuse for a burger along with an apple, then made his way to a round table. The whole gang was there, minus the one person John really wanted to be around. But that’s alright, he supposed. They do share a room after all, so he’ll be seeing him soon anyway.

“Well, that was a bit crazy earlier, am I right?” Greg asked openly.

“Oh yeah, blimey, John! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that riled up – not even on the field! I thought you were gonna deck Anderson right there!” Mike chimed in before shoving a french fry in his mouth.

“You know, I just might have if he hadn’t backed off when he did. I don’t really know what came over me to be honest with you. I just kind of snapped. I’m glad I did though, Sherlock didn’t deserve to have them mess with him like that,” John said in return. As he took a bite of his apple, he couldn’t help but feel a great sense of pride for having stood up for Sherlock the way he did. He smiled a little to himself.

Sadly, the moment of happiness was cut short. As if on cue, Mary sat down next to John with a small salad in tow and said, “I dunno. He is a bit of a weirdo, if you ask me.”

John swallowed hard and immediately turned to look her dead in the eye, feeling his blood begin to simmer in his veins. “Why would you say that,” he asked her in a serious tone. 

She gave him a confused look before asking, “What? I mean, it’s not hard to see that he’s..different.”

“Yeah,” John started. “He is different, but that doesn’t make him weird. He’s just as normal as any of us and deserves to be treated like it.”

“Well, he did kind of ask for it this afternoon,” she answered haughtily before taking a bite of her salad.

That was it. John’s blood hat reached its boiling point and he couldn’t remain polite anymore. “Tell me you’re joking,” he fumed. “How in the world did he do that? Sally and Anderson came onto him first, Mary. They started it.”

Everyone at the table had been watching and listening silently up until this point. Mike, being the compassionate guy he is, chimed in to try and smooth things over and said, “It’s alright guys. Sherlock’s a good dude even if he isn’t always received positively. You did the right thing defending him today, John.”

“Mike’s right,” Molly added while Greg nodded in agreement as well. “Some people just need more time to warm up to him. I think you did a great thing standing up for him. No one ever does.”

“I’m sorry,” Mary finally said, half-heartedly, holding her hands up in surrender – it was obvious she didn’t mean it. “I just don’t know him, I guess.”

John was consumed by his thoughts and felt spent for the night. Before even finishing his food, he just said, “I think I’m just gonna head out. Long day.” With that, John left the dining hall with his hands in fists inside his jean pockets. He was just so upset hat people thought these things of Sherlock when they didn’t even give him a chance. 

He spent the walk back to his cabin thinking about Sherlock. He felt his chest flutter at his name and a smile spread across his face, despite his lingering anger from Mary’s comments. He really wished people would take some time to get to know Sherlock. John was only just beginning to and he was already completely blown away. Well, he was even before knowing him personally, if he was being honest with himself. Just looking at that boy..did things to him. He just looked so soft and delicate. His skin looked like literal porcelain, for Christ sake. The extreme contrasts between his light skin and equally dark curls were so mesmerizing. Being around him made John feel like a completely different person – the person he always wants to be. 

Just as he was riding this train of thought, he arrived at their cabin. He reached out, turned the handle, opened the door, and walked in. As he began to close the door behind him, he heard a hairdryer through the bathroom door. He chuckled lightly to himself at now knowing that Sherlock blow-dries his curls to perfection. When John really thought about it, it did seem like Sherlock had quite a bit of femininity. Fairly tight clothes, his perfect vanity, and - most of all - his sass. He actually felt himself heating up as he approached his dresser, looking for a set of pajamas to wear for the night. He felt his cheeks burn as his pants grew a bit tighter. He coughed a bit awkwardly to himself as he pulled a pair of basketball shorts out of the drawer along with an old Fall Out Boy tour t-shirt and willed his body to calm down. Why was he reacting this way anyways? Why do these thoughts keep invading his mind? Of course, Sherlock was by absolutely no means ugly, but you know, John doesn’t think of him that way. 

Although, he did feel himself ease up about these thoughts of Sherlock. He isn’t chastising himself as he was before and he’s been letting his mind wander more and more as time went by. What the hell is happening?

John shook those thoughts away the best he could and decided he’d let Sherlock be and start changing into his pajamas while he finished up in the bathroom – he guessed he could be a while. He kicked off his shoes and stripped off his jeans first, then pulled on his black basketball shorts over his bright red pants - they were his favorite. Then, as he had his shirt half-way off, he heard the hairdryer turn off through the bathroom door. He finished getting his shirt off in a bit of a panic, but before he could even get the other unfolded, Sherlock came out of the bathroom. 

Sherlock had been humming a little tune to himself softly but stopped immediately and gasped when he was met by John outside the door. He was so startled by his unexpected presence that he nearly tripped, making John realize his mistake and feel bad for not saying anything when he came in. 

“Hey, oh god, sorry Sherlock,” he started a bit too quickly as he moved to guide Sherlock back to balance, “I’m sorry I didn’t say hey or something when I got here, I just didn’t want to bother you. You okay?”

Sherlock took a breath to regain himself before waving John away with a dismissive hand and answering, “Yes, I’m fine. Just wasn’t expecting you to be back so early,” he then looked over to the clock on the wall and continued, “wasn’t expecting you to be back from dinner for at least another 30 minutes?” He finished by sending John a questioning look, beckoning him to explain himself.

“Oh, I-uh…wasn’t really all that hungry. Just decided to turn in for the evening. Maybe read a bit or something,” he replied, running a smooth hand through his hair. It was this movement that brought John’s attention to the stunning figure in front of him. As he looked up at Sherlock through heavy eyes, only two words came to mind – holy shit. Good thing he was wearing basketball shorts. He shifted in nervousness as he began soaking in Sherlock’s presence. Sherlock was dressed in a white v-neck shirt with navy blue stripes, along with a pair of matching blue joggers – both of which fit him beautifully. He still had a towel in his hand from his slightly damp hair. He could see that the blow drying had paid off, his curls looked immaculate – not a single strand out of place. And he couldn’t help but note that, somehow, Sherlock’s hair looked even darker when damp. 

John felt himself staring then returned his gaze to Sherlock’s face and saw much more color than he expected to find there. John was confused for a moment, then it hit him. It was now when John remembered he was shirtless. For a second, he felt exposed and a little embarrassed. But those thoughts were immediately halted when another train of thought entered the station – Sherlock was looking at him. He was shirtless. Sherlock was blushing. Now isn’t that interesting? 

Sherlock took a sharp breath in and mumbled a bit when he said, “Oh, alright then..”

John smiled to himself as he decided to try turning on some charm.

“So,” he started, messing with the fabric in his hands, but making no effort to put it on. “Speaking of which – I don’t think I’ve seen you at a single meal so far. What’s that about?”

Sherlock couldn’t stand there any longer with John exposed like that right in front of him. He moved to his desk to take a seat in front of his microscope – he’d picked up a few pollen samples on his way back tonight. Putting on a false unbothered face as he peered into his microscope, he answered simply, “I don’t eat.”

John’s eyes went wide as he sat down on his bed and said, “Sherlock, you have to be joking! Everyone has to eat!”

Sherlock rolled his eyes through his scope as he continued, “Oh, please, I eat sometimes. Just not very much and not very often. All it does is slow me down.”

“Oh no, we will not be having this on my watch. You have to eat on a regular basis Sherlock, it’s no wonder you’re skin and bones! Nutrition doesn’t slow you down, it’s the only thing that keeps you going!”

“Do stop exaggerating, John, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“Exaggerating or not, this isn’t good for you and I plan on putting a stop to it.”

Sherlock let out a scoff and asked, “Oh, yeah? How do you plan on doing that, Captain?”

John felt his heart beat a little faster and his shorts feel a little tighter at being called Captain – let’s tuck that away for later. His mouth twitched up in a smirk as he answered, “You’re going to be eating with me from now on.”

Even though Sherlock was frozen in place, his body was on fire as he turned to face John. 

“I’m sorry, what?”

“You heard me. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner you’ll be sitting with me so I can see you eat something at least so I won’t have to worry about you being malnourished.”

John’s smile grew wider as he watched Sherlock’s cheeks burn even darker as he began to protest, “John, I really don’t think-“

“I’m not taking no for an answer, so you may as well save your breath,” he said with a most confident tone. 

They sat there for a moment, staring at each other, daring each other to push even further, until Sherlock finally rolled his eyes and huffed out a pout of defeat before saying, “Fine, you win. I’ll go, but you can’t make me eat.”

“Hah! We’ll see about that,” John said with a wink. At this, John finally went to put his shirt on. As he was searching for the armholes, he glanced at Sherlock, who moved back to his scope a bit too quickly. He smiled to himself and exaggerated his movements a bit as he began putting his shirt on, hoping in the back of his mind that Sherlock was watching (he was). 

John grabbed one of his biology books from his desk, laid back, and began reading a bit about nothing in particular. He was really just thinking about tomorrow. His heart hadn’t calmed down at all – it was still flipping around in his chest because Sherlock agreed to spend meal times with him. He couldn’t stop the smile from taking over his face. Granted, he was a little nervous about introducing Sherlock to his group, but at least he already knew Molly and Greg, to an extent. The only one he was truly worried about was Mary- hopefully she’ll take the hint after tonight and just leave them alone. One could only hope.

Apart from that, John was also thinking about the data he'd just collected. He still wasn't completely sure why he decided to experiment with Sherlock's reactions to his behavior, but he definitely knew he was happy with the results. It was rather amusing watching Sherlock's crystal cool composure slip a little in the wake of John's 'moves'. And he wasn't even really trying! John wondered what would happen if he really tried to get him riled up. Oh god, that would be a sight to see. Here he was again, letting his imagination wander, but this time he didn't even try to stop it. Not even a little bit. After all, there's no harm in imagining things, right?

About 20 minutes had passed, then Sherlock got up from his microscope, stretched, then crawled into bed. John took this as it being bedtime, so he gently shut his book and put it back on his desk. 

“Lights out?” he asked.

“Yes, please.”

Sherlock and John both leaned over to turn their desk lights off, plunging the room into soft darkness accompanied by dim moonlight. 

John let out a soft sigh of happiness and said, “Goodnight, Sherlock.”

There was a brief pause before he heard Sherlock say, “Goodnight, John.”

They both gradually fell asleep with smiles on their faces, dreaming of each other and the breakfast they’ll soon be sharing.


End file.
